@Johan Paulsson , welcome. And good on you being willing to stand up for what you believe regardless of the cost. The world needs more people who are willing to do that.
There is however a balance to be found in how we approach these matters, and as you have stated you are seeking wisdom, knowledge and understanding, I'll make some comments on this.
I have a relative who is (or was, he's very elderly now) as confrontational and passionate as you about teaching Christianity. He spent much of his life distributing Chick Publications tracts, traveled internationally in order to protest against Protestant christians who were getting too close to the Catholic church, and was very seriously shunned by many local Christians and churches for his work. I admire his willingness to stand up for what he believed was right, and actually agree with much of his theological views.
However, his methods were in some ways counterproductive, as ultimately they actually limited the number of people who were willing to speak to him. Although there was an enormous amount of truth in what he was teaching (for instance he was very strong on the evils of Catholicism and Islam, and issues with modern bible translations), the abrupt and confrontational way that he presented it meant that this could all be dismissed as "hatred". He came across to many people as just hating Catholics, hating Muslims, hating whoever, and then they would dismiss everything he said as the beliefs of an extreme crackpot.
Which meant that all the really good things he did have to say were ignored.
On reading your posts, I find that theologically we have a lot in common, we'd find we agreed on far more than we disagreed on. However I see serious issues with your attitude, how you're approaching this:
I agree with you that women should not lead men, and that the Salvation Army is wrong on this.
But why would this mean that you "abhor and hate them"? Why would this mean that you considered them not to be "believers in Jesus Christ"?
Surely you should love them, as Christ loved us even when we were sinners. However bad they are, we are called to LOVE them. Love does not mean ignoring their faults - we are called to love our enemies even. If we are to even love our enemies, how much easier is it to love our family, and those who claim to follow Jesus but just have a few things wrong?
Christianity is really simple. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9). That's all.
Patriarchy is correct - but you don't have to believe it to be saved. There are hundreds of theological details that are correct, and which we can get passionate about for good reasons, but none of them are technically required to be saved. We can have all sorts of things wrong, yet still be saved. Because God looks at the heart, He looks past our faulty understanding, and He loves us as we are. He loves our baby steps towards serving Him, even if those steps are imperfect, because He sees the intent of them.
So it is great to see your passion. Passion is very important. Now, please listen to WISDOM in when and how to apply that passion.
If you hate everyone who disagrees with you, then people will dismiss everything you say as the rantings of a hateful man.
But if you love everyone who disagrees with you, talk to them compassionately, but use your passion to be willing to speak the truth even when they don't want to hear it - still speaking in love, but not holding back from the truth - you will actually reach many people for God.
As a preacher, your job is not to SAY the message, but to ensure people HEAR the message and RESPOND to the message by turning to Christ.
Because what ultimately matters is not that you personally believed and preached what was true, but how many other people you are able to bring with you into the Kingdom.
Why would you not need to believe in patriarchy, that men needs to rule and make good decisions, choices and determinations in a country and in a family?
To follow the order of God is to have order in life, not to mix truths with untruths.
this is for sure a salvation issue as it is commanded by THE LORD for a woman to obey and submit to her husband as unto THE LORD.
Obedience is what it is talking about when it talks about ''Faith'' and ''believeth''.
There is no other way than to believe that ''faith' and ''believeth'' has to do with obedience and submission to the will of THE LORD, to the commandments of THE LORD, to THE SCRIPTURE and to the law of THE LORD.
There are many people with many truths, but who are mixing truths with untruths.
You recognize this yourself? You see this?
Salvation and righteousness are important and necessary topics that I have discussed for a long time with different people, from different denominations. It is many times the same scriptures that are used.
Can you elaborate what you mean with ''Faith'' and ''Believeth''?
It is not unusual for me to see Romans 10:9-11 being used in order to say something like:
''People only needs to believe. No works are needed.''
Many people come to different conclusions in how to view sin, righteousness and salvation.
Salvation for me is salvation from sin and for this purpose was the son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil in peopel's lives, ie. he came to redeem and save people from their sins and not in their sins.
Jesus Christ came to save his people from their sins, and not in ther sins.
The doctrine of salvation and the doctrine of righteousness are extremely necessary and importan in order to be right with THE LORD, in order to have a right and a good standing with THE LORD.
If we have doctrines that contradicts the scripture, then how can we claim to be followers of God and how can we then claim salvation?
This is why we need to read and study the scripture in order to not be fooled by the errors of the wicked.
The man is suppose to be the head over the woman, so what about if the woman wants to be the head over the man? She can still be saved no matter what she is saying and doing?
You believe a woman can be a feminist, and yet be saved by grace through faith?
I certainly and firmly do not believe a woman can be saved while disobeying the word of God and the order of God.
What I mean with feminism is women who wants equality between men and women concerning authority, leadership and power.
Feminism for me is also about if women wants to walk for themselves, take the train for themselves, take the car for themselves, take the bus for themselves, take taxi for themselves, take the plane for themselves, jog for themselves, run for themselves, making themselves short haired, coulouring their hair, having broided hair, having make up in order to make themselves look more ''attractive'', dress themselves immodest in order to get bad attention and making career rather than becoming wives to a Godly, holy and righteous man etc.
Rebellion, disobedience and pride is alright and okay?
Women are not supposed to live for themselves, but to be led, guided and protected by a Godly, holy and righteous man and to become parents if possible, if they can get pregnant or/and if they can adopt a child or more.
What about the Pride-Festival?
Do you love when people are showing and proving themselves prideful openly and publicly?
Do you love people's personality when/if they are prideful, rebellious and disobedient?
There may be people walking in this Pride-Festival who are calling themselves Christians and yet support, defend and encourage the sin of homosexuality.
What do you say about them? What do you say to them?
Are they saved or unsaved? Righteous or unrighteous? Godly or ungodly? Wise or unwise? Learned or unlearned? Educated or uneducated? Kind or unkind? Humble or prideful? Good or evil? Right or wrong? Loving or unloving?
There is noone losing salvation over being prideful, rebellious and disobedient against the moral standard of God?
You know and understand Roman Catholics, Orthodox, Pentecostals, Baptists, Amish, Mennonites, Methodists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Arminians, Lutherans and Calvinists etc. claim to believe on The Lord Jesus Christ.
Anyone can say they believe on The Lord Jesus Christ, but that does not necessarily make them believers in Jesus Christ and neither as Christians.
''These words “
faith” and “
belief” are similar words. Nelson's
Bible Dictionary defines
faith as a
belief in or confident attitude toward God, involving commitment to his will for one's life. Nelson also says
belief is to place one's trust in God's truth. ...
Faith and belief are two sides
of the same coin. Sep 2, 2006'' - From Google.
Do you have anything against this? Do you have another view of ''Faith'' and ''Belief''?
You understand, see, recognize and know that ''Belief'' and ''Faith'' are much more than to merely recognize what God has done through Jesus Christ if you read and study the scripture more closely.
Hebrews 11 is very clear about what faith is about and how faith is proven and evident in a person's life.
Hebrews 11 shows examples of people who lived by faith and acted by faith.
Noah was moved by fear and built an ark, but what kind of fear did Noah had that made him built this ark?
The fear of God. Saying ''I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ'' or sayiing ''Lord Lord'' ill not save anyone if they are committing and practicing sin and unrighteousness againsy
Noah built an ark, believed in what God told would happen to the wicked world in his time and this proved and showed that Noah had faith in THE LORD.
Noah and all his family together with his sons wives and all the animals in the ark got saved from the flood because of the faith of Noah.
Noah was a preacher of righteousness and many people mocked him, laughed at him and rejected him for the reason that he built an ark to save himself and his family together with all the animals from this flood.
Noah was not a preacher of righteousness?
Noah did not love THE LORD because he did not get any converts or you mean he got converts while preaching to the people who mocked him for his faith in THE LORD?
I do believe that many people, nowadays, who profess to be Christians are too afraid of being hard with sinners and unbelievers because it can mean that they will be rejected by them.
Better to tell hard truths than to tell flattery words of deceit.
Abraham obeyed THE LORD by offering his only son from Sarah.
This was a work that proved and showed faith in Abraham's life.
Abraham believed for the reasons of his actions, for his obedience to THE LORD.
You mean you are already in understanding, wisdom and knowledge about what faith is and how faith should be practiced? Faith worketh by love? Faith without works is dead?
Do you have works that proves and shows that you are walking by faith and walking in love?
What about ''And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved'' in John 3:19-20?
Do these verses apply to you?
You are not among those who doeth evil and neither among those who hateth the light?
Are you a good person or are you an evil person in your own eyes?
The face of THE LORD is against them that doeth evil?
I have witnessed about, read about and heard from many denominations, and they are living in hypocrisy and idolatry based on their doctrines and lifestyles.
Licence to sin? If noone can lose salvation based on sin, then it is a licence to sin. You agree?
I do not know and neither understand how much you have read from the scripture, both from Old Testament and from The New Testament.
Consistency is important and necessary for me as a Christian Street Evangelist, including a Christian Street Preacher.
I have read both from Old Testament and from The New Testament about love and about hatred.
Hatred is not against love and love is not against hatred.
This is consistent with both Old Testament and New Testament.
You see?
Every time we love something or someone then we hate something else and someone else, whether you admit this or not, whether you believe it or not and whether you trust this or not.
Shunning, rejecting and avoiding a person is a way of showing and proving hatred toward this person.
If you are shunning, rejecting and avoiding a person then it is because you have something against this person, because this person have a personality that you dislike and hate, and you want this person to change in order for you to accept him/her as a brother in Jesus Christ.
Or would you call a person a Christian, a brother/sister in Jesus Christ and a Believer in Jesus Christ no matter what he/she believes in, no matter what he/she teach and no matter how he/she lives?
You agree with me that Christian and Believing men can have multiple wives without committing adultery, without cheating and without being unfaithful?
What if there are people who claims that you would commit adultery if you have multiple wives?
Still saved no matter what they say?
If a person is lying about what is sin, is not this considered as idolatry then? What is idolatry for you?
If THE LORD has said that something is good, right and pleasing, but someone else says that it is a sin, who is right then? THE LORD who has said it is good, right and pleasing or the person who says it is a sin?
If THE LORD is right, and we know for fact that THE LORD is not a liar, what about the person who said it is a sin? If a person says something that is untrue, what does that make him? A liar, right?
Can a liar enter the kingdom of God? What will happen with liars if liars do not turn away from all their lies?
There is really no separation concerning the sinner and the sin inside the scripture.
The scripture is very clear that THE LORD both hate the sin and the sinner who is committing sin.
Old Testament and New Testament show and prove that THE LORD does not accept sinners and unbelievers as they are. Sodom and Gomorrah are only two examples.
There are examples in New Testament as well.
The Apostle Paul rebuked and judged the church in Corinth for not separating themselves from a person who had taken his father's wife and had sex with her and wanted them to put aaway from amng themselves that wicked person.
It is very simple for me to see why THE LORD hates sinners and unbelievers, and yet see why THE LORD has shown and proven benevolent and moral love toward sinners and unbelievers through the works of Jesus Christ.
God is a jealous God. God does not want anyone to create their own god according to their own belly and neither according to their own immoral feelings and nor according to their own imaginations
I do not believe that THE LORD loves sinners and unbelievers in a personal way, but I believe THE LORD has shown and proven benevolent and moral love toward sinners and unbelievers and yet hate sinners and unbelievers for their sins and unbelief, for their disobedience and pride.
There are clear scriptures against sinners, unbelievers, the unrighteous, workers of iniquity and evildoers.
This is why no liars, no effeminate, no unbelieving, no cowards, no homosexuals, no fornicators, no false teachers, no heretics ands no idolaters etc. will enter the kingdom of God.
How much false doctrines can you have and still be saved? If you are proven wrong about the scripture, and you still abide in your sins, would you still claim salvation despite of sin in your life?
If you have sin in your life, can you mention what sins you have not stopped doing?
Do you believe you can be morally perfect and sinless in this life?
I do believe in sinless perfection and moral perfection in this life.
When I say sinless perfection and moral perfection it does not mean that you can not choose to commit sin in the future, it just means that you need to be sinlessly and morally perfect in order to be accepted with THE LORD.
Acts 10:34-35 makes this very clear that ''...in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.''
Meaning a person needs to fear THE LORD and worketh righteousness in order to be accepted with THE LORD.
Or do you mean The Apostle Peter said anything else than what it says there?
Obedience to THE LORD is the key in order to be accepted by HIM.
I can give many examples on persons inside the scripture who were not accepted by THE LORD and who got punished for their sins and unrighteousness.
Punishment is a sort of hatred for a person's personality, for what this person has said or/and done.
A Biblical family is a family who obey, serve, trust and believe in THE LORD.
I do not believe in Easy Believism.
I do not believe that you only have to acknowledge that God exists and what he has done for you.
There is no automatic salvation just because someone claims to believe, as even the devils believe that God is one and they tremble.
Brokenness over ones sins needs to be proven, repentance and turning away from all sin and from all unrighteousness is a necessary part order to become saved by grace through faith.
The scripture is clear that mercy is given to those who confesseth their sins and forsaketh them, not without forsaking sins. Forsaking sins means to stop doing them and to leave them behind oneself.
Faith is proven through moral actions, not in immoral actions.
Faith worketh by love. Love is obedience and submission to THE LORD.
The point is that faith alone does not save, if you by faith means to only acknowledge what Jesus Christ has done without obedience to the commandments of THE LORD.
Christianity for me is not only about what Christ has done for sinners and unbelievers, but what sinners and unbelievers needs to do in order to be reconciled with God and what to do in order to abide in Jesus Christ.
The blood of Jesus Christ is limited, as the blood of Jesus Christ only cleanses from all sin and from all unrighteousness for those who choose, by their own free will, to turn away from all sin and from all unrighteousness and put their faith in Jesus Christ.
This I see as a requirement and command inside the scripture.
If you do not have all these parts, how can you then claim salvation?
What is salvation for you?
I hope we can have a fruitful conversation over our differences in doctrines and lifestyle.
